Machine for ornamenting leather.



H. E. BNSLIN. MACHINE FOR ORNAM-ENTING LEATHER.

APPLICATION FILED DBO.17, 1913.

Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

MME/Wma w R m Q .Mm/ESS I YHE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTOALITHO wAsHlNGrnN. D. c.

H. E. ENSLIN.

MACHINE PoR OENAMBNTING LEATHER.

APPLICATION FILED 13136.17, 1913.

1, 1 1 5, 1 84;. Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wim

'EWE

zz ,r2

.TI l, 1 r l 'i E Fig:

MTA/5515557 Wwf/v70@ M ci 6,1%

I bm

THE MORRIS PETERS Ca.. PHOTO-MTH i.. WASHINUmN. DA C.

H. E. ENSLIN. MACHINE POP. ORNAMBNTING LEATHER.

I APPLICATION FILED DEO. 17, 1913.

Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

l/1// T/VESS-g im THE NoRRIS PErERs Co..PH01D-LITHO,. wASHlNcrON, 7. c.

held in place by a nut 15. This pin has slidably mounted upon it a bearing 17 which is fast to the upper frame and is guided in its angular movement about the pivot 9 by a yoke 19 which is fast to the lower frame.

In order to hold the two frames together atA this end the upper frame has two hooks 21 to receive a rod 23 pivoted to thiends of which are links 25. These links at their lower ends are pivoted to arms 27 which are in turn pivoted to the frame of the machine. Springs 29 attached at their upper ends to the arms 27 and at their lower ends to stationary arms 31 serve through the arms 27, links 25, rod 23 and hooks 21 to pull this right hand end of the upper frame down toward the lower frame.

Turning now tothe left hand end of the machine as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3 and to the enlarged details illustrated in Fig. 5, the rod 123, hooks 121, links 125, pivoted arms 127, springs 129, and stationary arms 131 are similar to those which have been described in 'connection with the right hand end of the machine. The pins 33, however, are mounted in a different manner from that of the pins 13. These pins 33 are pivoted at 35 to the base oi. the machine and are thus adapted to be swung into and out of yokes 37 which are carried by the upper frame. Each pin has at its upper end a head 39 between which and a washer 41 is located a spring 41:3.

lVith the construction thus far described the manner in which the piece of leather is held taut during the shrinking operation will be clear. When it is desired to clamp a piece of leather between the frames the front rod 123, is lifted out of the hooks 121, both the rods 23 and 123 having bent portions to serve as handles when desired. The pins 33 are then swung forward out of the yokes 37 after which the upper frame may be swung about the pivots 9 at the rear end so as to separate the two :trames for the reception of the piece of leather. After' the piece of leather has been placed upon the lower frame the upper frame is swung down again into the position shown inthe drawings. Attention is particularly directed to the series of rolls between which the leather is gripped and to the fact that these rolls are freely slidable upon the rods which carry them and are normally held apart by springs. The purpose of this construction is to permitl the piece of leather to shrink while at the same time maintaining it taut. It should be noted too that the shrinking of the leather is opposed with approximately uniform force in all directions parallel to its surface.

The shrinking may be accomplished by any suitable shrinking agent, and 'in the illustrative machine a gas flame is used to which one side of the leather is exposed momentarily. In the'illustrative machine the application of heat takes place progressively across the leather fromone edge to the opposite one, but the particular manner in which the heat is applied is immaterial so long as it is properly confined to the treated side. Where an intense heat is used care should be taken, however, not to allow the heating lagent to remain for any considerable length of time in operative relation to the leather since, aside from the danger of spoiling the leather by burning it, which is obviously liable to occur, if the heat is allowed to strike through into the grain side said side is liable to shrink equallyy with the iiesh side so that the tinisrhed produce will be smooth on both sides and have the 'same appearance as the original except, of course, as to size. Consequently the heat should be applied only momentarily to the leather and then immediately withdrawn, a result which in the illustrative machine is accomplished by moving the tiame across the surface of the leather so to make the application of heat progressive.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 6 a gas burner i5 is fast to a traveler 47 lwhich is slidably mounted on rods L9 and is adapted to be moved to and fro from front to back of the machine in order toapply heat to the under side of a piece of leather while said piece is held taut between the lframes. rllhis gas burner is shown (see Fig.`

1) as of the Bunsen type. The gas is supplied through a flexible tube 51 and is regulated by a cock 53 having a handle 55 which is automatically turned to nearly closed position, whenever the traveler .L7 reaches either of its extreme positions, by contacting with pins 57 which are threaded through the sides of the baseof the machine so as to be adjustable. A pair of balanced springs 59 (see Fig. 3) arranged between the handle 55 and suitable lugs on the traveler 17 are provided to keep the gas cock 55 wide open except when it is nearly closed by contact withy the pins 57. 1n the position in which the parts of the machine are shown, which is the position of rest, the gas burner is located at the front of the machine and the gas cock is nearly closed, just suiiicient gas being allowed to iiow to the vburner to maintain the iame.

After a piece of leather has been clamped in place between the two 'frames the .traveler 457, which carries the burner, is moved across the under side of the leather one or more times as may be desirable; and in the illustrative machine this movement is automatic in response to movement of a controlling member. To this end two smooth halfbearings G1, 63 are formed on the traveler 47, said half-bearings coperating with corresponding threaded half-nuts 161 and 163 to receive threaded shafts and 67. The half-nuts 161, 163 are normally held downwardly against supporting ledges 68 (see Fig. l) and out of Contact with the screws 65 and 67 by springs 69. The screws 65 and 67 have threads of the same pitch and inclination but are rotated in opposite directions by intermeshing gears 71, 73 fast respectively to said screws. A grooved pulley 7 5 fast to the screw 67 furnishes means for applying power to the screws. With the construction thus far described and when power has beenl applied to the pulley 75 in the direction indicated by the arrow, if the half-nut 161 is moved up to and held in engagement with the screw 65 the traveler -17 will be caused to move from the front to the rear of the machine, and if then the half-nut 161 is lowered and the half-nut 163 raised the traveler will be moved vback into the position shown.

rlhe mechanism by which such manipulation of the half-nuts is accomplished is as follows: A shaft 77 rotatably mounted in the base of the machine carries at its front end a handle 79 by which it may be turned and at its rear end an arm 81 the outer end of which is located in position to engage the half-nut 168 when the traveler has been moved to the rear of the machine.. A similar arm 83 is fast to a hub 85 which has trunnions 87 mounted in suit-able sockets in the base of the machine. Integral with the hub 85 is a second arm 89 pivoted to one end of a link 91 the other end of which is pivoted to an arm 93 on the shaft 77. A spring 95 normally holds these connected parts in the position shown. 1f now the khandle 79 is depressed the arm 83 will lift the half-nut 161 into engagement with the screw 65, and the traveler 17 will start to move toward the rear of the machine. Vhen one of the half-nuts has thus been raised into contact with its screw it must obviously be held in raised position until the traveler has completed its movement across the machine. In order so to hold the half-nuts two locking or separating members 97,99 are pivoted on a stud 101, which is fast to the traveler, and are continuously urged to move in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, by coiled springs 103, 105 which are fastened at their upper ends to a pin 107 and are then wound about the stud 101 with their free ends bearing against the sides of the locking or separating members 97 and 99 respectively. The outer ends of the members 97 and 99 are thus pressed against the sides of the half-nuts 161, 168 when said half-nuts are in their lowermostposition. As soon, however, as one half-nut is raised the end of the corresponding locking member is forced beneath it. In order to push each locking member from beneath its half-nut and thereby per- 65 mit the half-nut to drop when the traveler has reached one eXtreme or the other of its movement, stop pins 109 and 111 adjustably mounted in the base of the machine are so located as to contact respectively with the locking or separating members 97, 99.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The piece of leather is clamped in place with its fiesh side down in the manner which has been described. lThe machine having been started and the gas lighted, the operator depresses the handle 79 thereby connecting the screw 65 with the traveler 17 and causing the traveler to be moved from the front to the rear of the machine. The first port-ion of the movement of the traveler carries the handle 55 of the gas cock out of range of the stop pin 57 whereby the balanced springs 59 hold said cock wide open. During the last portion of the movement of the traveler the stop pin 57 at the rear of the machine acts automatically to turn down the gas. Referring now to the mechanism which moves the traveler, as soon as the lever 79 has been depressed the locking member 97 is forced beneath the half-nut 161; and when the traveler approaches the end of its movement the stop pin 111 pushes the locking member 97 back and permits the half-nut 161 to drop. 1f the operator desires to apply further heat to the leather piece he merely depresses the handle 7 9 again whereupon the traveler is connected with the screw 67 the gas is turned up and the machine comes to rest nally with the parts in the position shown. The operator may continue, if necessary, to repeat the application of the heat to the leather until the desired pattern appearsion the grain side.

lt will be understood that the machine shown has been chosen for illustrative purposes only and that the terms flesh side and grain side have been used rather than the terms one side and other side or treated side and display side merely to promote brevity and .clearness and that either side of the leather, if desired, may be subjected to shrinkage.

In the illustrative machine the shrinking of the leather is opposed with approximately uniform force in all directions, but it should be understood that this is not-.essential since by varying the magnitude of these forces the vpattern produced may be varied, the only piece of leather yieldingly so as to permit it to shrink, and means for applying a shrinking agent to one side of the piece so held.

2. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for holding a piece of leather yieldingly .so as tc permit it to shrink, and means for applying momentarily to one side of the piece so held a shrinking agent.

3. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for holding a piece of leather'yieldingly so as to permit it to shrink, and means for applying progressively to one side of the piece so held a shrinking agent.

4. A machine of the class described, having, in combination, means for holding a piece of leather extended, said means having provisio-n for permitting said piece to move With respect to it, and means for shrinking one side of the piece so held.

5. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for yieldingly holding a piece of leather taut, said means being constructed and arranged to oppose With approximately uniform force shrinking by said piece in all directions parallel to its surface, and means for applying to one side of said piece a shrinking agent. f

6. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for yieldingly holding a piece of leather taut, said means being constructed and arranged to oppose With approximately uniform force shrinking by said piece in all directions parallelto its surface, and means for momentarily applying a shrinking agent to one side of said piece.

7. A machine of the class' described having, in combination, means for yieldingly holding apiece of leather taut, said means being constructed and arranged to oppose with approximately uniform force shrinking by said piece in all directions parallel With itssurface, and means for progressively applying'a shrinking agent to one side of said piece.

8. -A machine of the class described' having, in combination, means for yieldingly holding a piece of leather taut, said means being constructed and arranged to oppose with approximately uniform force shrinking by said piece in all directions parallel to its sur-face, a source ofA heat, and means for momentarily exposing said piece to said source.

9. A machine of the class described hav-A to shrink While maintaining its tautness, a

heatingvmember, and means for moving said member into and out of operative relation to said piece.

12. A machineof the class described having, in combination, means for holding a piece of leather taut, said means being constructed and arranged to permit said piece to shrink While maintaining its tautness, a heating member, means for moving said member across said piece, and means for diminishing the heat when the heating member approaches the end of its movement.

13. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for holding a j piece of leather taut, said means being con'- structed and arranged to permit said piece tto shrink While vmaintaining its tautness, a heating member, means for moving said member across said piece, and automatic means for diminishing the heat when the lheating member approaches the end of its movement.

14. A machine of the class described havling, in combination, means for holdinga piece of leather taut, said means being con- ;structed and arranged to permit said piece vto shrink While maintaining its tautness, a traveler adapted to traverse said piece, a

heating member carried by said traveler, and

:means for operating said traveler.

15. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for holding a ypiece of leather taut, said means being constructed and arranged to permit said piece to shrink While maintaining its tautness, a traveleradapted to traverse said piece, a 'continuously operated member adapted when connected With said traveler to impart movement to it, means under control of the operator for connecting said continuously operated member with said traveler, and automatic means for disconnecting said member and traveler at the end of the traverse.

16. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pair of frames between which a piece of leather is held, means for causing said frames to grip the piece yieldingly, a source of heat, and means for exposing one surface of said piece to said source.

17. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pair of frames between which a piece of leather is held, means for causing said frames to grip the piece yieldingly, a source of heat, and means for causing said source of heat to travel across one surface of said piece.

18. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a frame comprising a plurality of yieldingly spaced rolls, yielding means for pressing the margin of a sheet of leather upon said rolls, and means for applying to one side of a piece so held a shrinking agent.

19. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for holding a piece of leather taut While permitting it to shrink, a manually controlled member, and means responsive to movement of said member for causing` a shrinking agent to be applied to said piece.

20. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for holding a piece of leather taut and means for shrinking one side of a piece so held more than the other side in such manner that an ornamental pattern in Wrinkles or puckers is produced on said last-named side.

2l. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for yieldingly holding a piece of leather taut While permitting it to shrink, and means for puckering one side of the piece so held While maintaining the other side substantially smooth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in the presence of tvvo subscribing Witnesses.

HERBERT E. ENSLIN.

Witnesses:

RUTH E. SNELL, CHESTER E. Roenns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents,

Washington, D. G. 

